Mayor and London Assembly honour service personnel at City Hall ahead of Armed Forces Day
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff AM, and the City Hall Branch of the Royal British Legion today welcomed special guests to City Hall for the Armed Forces Day flag raising ceremony. The event is held annually to honour and celebrate the courage and commitment of service personnel.
The ceremony, ahead of National Armed Forces Day on Saturday, was attended by serving members of the British Armed Forces, as well as veterans, reserves, cadets, and representatives from military charities.
Air Commodore Philip Wadlow delivered the Vote of Thanks and Cadet Corporal Samira Hussein read the poem ‘Normandy’ by Cyril Crain.
Guests enjoyed music from The Band of the RAF Regiment before, during and after the ceremony.
The event was also attended by representatives from the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps), Chelsea Pensioners, London Assembly members, London borough mayors and leaders, and Greater London Authority staff.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “City Hall’s annual Armed Forces Day flag raising ceremony gives us an opportunity to reflect on the courage and commitment of service personnel and recognise the sacrifices they make.
“These brave women and men dedicate their lives to protecting all we hold dear as a country. From promoting peace to delivering aid, providing security to fighting terrorism, they represent the very best of our society.
“As we build a better London for all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our nation’s Armed Forces community and their families. We are forever in their debt.”
Chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff AM, said: “It was a great honour to welcome our guests to City Hall today and to have the chance to thank them in person for their incredible contribution to protecting and serving our country, and for how they represent London and Great Britain on our behalf.
“Armed Forces Day gives us all an opportunity to pause and think about what our armed forces, cadets, veterans, military families – and all the charities who work tirelessly to support them – mean to us.
“Today’s ceremony, coming shortly after the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, was a particularly poignant reminder of the sacrifices our veterans have made for us in conflicts around the world – and of the risks that our brave armed forces continue to take to keep us all safe every day.”
ENDS